Battle of Ligny

The Battle of Ligny (16 June 1815) was a major battle of the Hundred Days campaign of the Napoleonic Wars that occurred at Ligny, Belgium. The 60,800-strong French Armee du Nord under Emperor Napoleon I attempted to destroy Gebhard von Blucher's 84,000-strong Prussian army before it could join forces with the Duke of Wellington's army. The two sides met in battle at the small town of Ligny, and the French cavalry assaulted Saint Amand on the right flank, facing several Prussian troops using chevaux de frise traps to inflict heavy losses on the French. As the two sides battled over control of Saint Amand, the French forces pushed Blucher's army back in the town itself, and Napoleon I famously said, "They are lost; they have no reserve!" Blucher was trapped under his horse during the battle, and August von Gneisenau took over command after Blucher was wounded. The battle cost the French 8,000 losses, while the Prussians lost 12,000 men, plus 8,000 deserters. The battle was a French victory, although Napoleon's failure to destroy the Prussian IV Corps led to his later defeat at the Battle of Waterloo.